Drake Passage & South Shetlands
Weather still fine with about 15-20 kts on the starboard quarter helping us along, very little swell. Several Fin Whales sighted in the early morning and then a second pod delayed the start of Stephan’s excellent lecture on the Antarctic sea birds. His talk was laced with lots of interesting information on the origins of their names and unusual habits gleaned from many years of experience in the south.
A third pod of three Fins was seen in the afternoon. These are the second largest rorqual after the giant Blue whale and can weigh in at 100 tons. In the afternoon, the IAATO and zodiac briefings prepared everybody for tomorrow’s landings as we arrived at English Passage in the South Shetland Islands. Our final approach was supervised by a formation of 40 Cape Petrels putting on a precision flying display round the ship.
Fans of Gentoo Penguins heading home to their rookeries to feed their chicks formed a bow wave as we entered the strait and passed through the table like columnar basalt plug from the weathered volcanoes. On the eastern side, the bleak ice cap of Robert Island. On the west, the cliffs and glaciers of Greenwich Island.
At least three pods of Humpback Whales and several small bergs were seen in the narrows and headed out into Bransfield Strait. The weather by this time had changed to typical South Shetland overcast with some lenticular high wind clouds above.
In the evening Humpback Whales were seen bubble netting. A great whale day and the first of many penguins! The Drake Passage has been very kind to us.
Weather still fine with about 15-20 kts on the starboard quarter helping us along, very little swell. Several Fin Whales sighted in the early morning and then a second pod delayed the start of Stephan’s excellent lecture on the Antarctic sea birds. His talk was laced with lots of interesting information on the origins of their names and unusual habits gleaned from many years of experience in the south.
A third pod of three Fins was seen in the afternoon. These are the second largest rorqual after the giant Blue whale and can weigh in at 100 tons. In the afternoon, the IAATO and zodiac briefings prepared everybody for tomorrow’s landings as we arrived at English Passage in the South Shetland Islands. Our final approach was supervised by a formation of 40 Cape Petrels putting on a precision flying display round the ship.
Fans of Gentoo Penguins heading home to their rookeries to feed their chicks formed a bow wave as we entered the strait and passed through the table like columnar basalt plug from the weathered volcanoes. On the eastern side, the bleak ice cap of Robert Island. On the west, the cliffs and glaciers of Greenwich Island.
At least three pods of Humpback Whales and several small bergs were seen in the narrows and headed out into Bransfield Strait. The weather by this time had changed to typical South Shetland overcast with some lenticular high wind clouds above.
In the evening Humpback Whales were seen bubble netting. A great whale day and the first of many penguins! The Drake Passage has been very kind to us.
